The present invention generally relates to a machine tool, and in particular is directed to a machine tool of a type having a plurality of telescopic struts, each being formed by an inner tube and an outer tube, which are nested within each other, and articulated at one end thereof to a frame and at the other end thereof to a tool holder for carrying a tool for machining a workpiece.
A machine tool of this type is known for example from U.S. Pat. No. 5,401,128 which combines a hexapodal tool holder that is mounted on nodes of an octahedral framework. This type of machine tool is self-contained, and, unlike conventional machine tools, moves smaller masses. As a result, the speeds of adjustment are higher, whereby, in particular, the rigidity between the frame and the tool holder is very high. In many cases, a total of six telescopic struts are provided, all of which can be independently retracted and extended. Thus, the tool holder can take any desired position in space. A high rigidity of the telescopic struts is of particular importance in such machine tools.